ABC Reality TV Zooms In for Summer on the Vineyard

They come for the sun, the sand, the drama and romance, to grapple with life and grab hold of it against the backdrop of beachfront idyll. Such are the lives of twenty-somethings in the fleeting days of a Vineyard summer.

At least, that’s what a new reality show may have you believe.

On Wednesday, the ABC Family network announced it had picked up The Vineyard, a working title for a “dramatic coming-of-age” reality soap chronicling the lives of a small group of 18 to 24-year olds on the Island. “Tight quarters, new friends and new rivals, all living, working and playing together, make this picturesque playground ripe for mischief and romance,” a description of the show reads.

The series is set to air in July as eight one-hour episodes, with filming to begin on the Island in May, creator and executive producer Dave Broome told the Gazette Wednesday.

Mr. Broome, who also serves as executive producer on the reality program The Biggest Loser, said the show will focus on a primary set of cast members who share a home and work at a well-known Island restaurant.

“We’re going to have a house that part of our cast members are going to live in; that will be home base for us in many ways. But that will be intercut with people from other parts of the Island,” he said. The location of the home has not yet been decided, though likely locations include Edgartown, Oak Bluffs or Vineyard Haven, said Yong Yam, vice president of 25/7 Productions. That company, headed by Mr. Broome, will produce The Vineyard. It has also produced such shows as Shedding for the Wedding, A Model Life and Flip Men.

“I can’t think of another example other than a place like the Vineyard that changes so dramatically,” Mr. Broome said of his decision to base the show on Martha’s Vineyard. “The population explodes and the look and feel of the Island becomes dramatically different between that three to four-month period of time. And because of that, there’s this organic ticking clock; there’s this limited period of time that our castmates have to go there, to find relationships, and then they’re leaving . . . I find that to be a very interesting dynamic that Martha’s Vineyard has to offer.”

Working title and logo were unveiled Wednesday.

In fact, Mr. Broome’s interest in the Island was piqued several years ago. He began work on the show with 25/7 Productions in 2009. The Vineyard was slated to air on the CW network that year, but never did.

“I think for us it was just a matter of finding the right network home for it,” he said this week.

Mr. Broome describes The Vineyard as a “docu-soap,” part documentary and part soap opera with heightened senses of emotion. But while the show will feature non-actors and lack a formal script, the lines of reality will still be blurred. Cast members who spend their days slinging beer and bluefish

on camera will have their schedules formatted to accommodate filming, he said. Scenes also will be concentrated on a few predetermined locations.

Principal shooting will begin in mid-May and run through the end of June or early July, when college students are returning to the Island, settling in, finding new jobs and making new friends, he said.

As for who will be cast to take on the role of part-time servers and TV stars, that process is already underway.

Several weeks ago Ms. Yam contacted radio station WMVY to field leads for potential cast members. Word of mouth spread among the Island community, giving her the opportunity to speak with a pool of potential candidates. She then took her search to Facebook. “Now I’m hooked up on Facebook and pretty much know every kid on the Vineyard,” she said.

Ms. Yam will hold an all-day closed casting call at the Mansion House on Friday, Feb. 22. The following two days, she will travel to Boston to meet with those who may summer on the Island but are currently living off-Island or away at school.

“We want residents of Martha’s Vineyard and the kids coming into the Vineyard. It’s really important to blend the two,” said Mr. Broome.

In addition to the 18 to 24 year olds, Ms. Yam said she is looking for what she calls ancillary characters: parents, teachers, friends, even fishermen.

And the work of casting and scouting will continue in the weeks to come.

“We will be coming back for other scouts and trips, literally cruising the Island,” said Mr. Broome. “What we have found in being there before . . . people just refer to other people, there’s nothing like being there and actually talking to people.”

Addressing concerns the show will mirror the controversial MTV hit Jersey Shore — vociferously voiced by Island residents on the show’s newly-created Facebook page — Mr. Broome said that won’t be the case. Instead, he says the show will be more akin to another MTV hit, The Hills, which employed high production values and sweeping panoramas to document the personal lives of Hollywood-area wealthy friends.

“This will be as far away from Jersey Shore as you can possibly get,” he said. “Think ABC Family and you’ll know the kind of show we’re gonna make. It’s Disney, for God’s sake.”

Those interested in being cast for the show may send an email with introductory information to 25/7 Productions vice-president Yong Yam at yong@257tv.com. Viable candidates may be asked to appear at the Martha’s Vineyard closed casting call, held at the Mansion House on Feb. 22.

MV is fine and will be fine. There's so many damn laws protecting everything, what could really go wrong at this point? You all should focus on the real problems at hand, like; prescription pain killers, cocaine, and meth in the high school, rather than your possible tarnished image.

This idea of making a show on the vineyard is not fitting. I have a home in edgartown on the Harbor I belong to many of the clubs and it is still yet a very low key area the fact that abc is going to try to make a teenage show with drama on the island is idiotic. People go to the vineyard for a more low key feel that the hamptons is not able to provide. This is a pointless idea the show will go no where take it from someone who has a group of friends 18-24 who has been going there for 20 years. Good luck.

Of course nobody would want to watch "islanders" with their bad, negative, arrogant, attitudes. If a true reality show about that would be aired, tourism would probably hit rock bottom, and islanders would complain even more! Why is it ok for the president to vacation there with all the secret service and security teams, but not a tv crew? Seems very hypocritical,like everything else on the island!

Well said... learn to coexist amongst everything. We don't have to like things but anything that we put energy into will only grow. If you don't like then don't watch. Don't even comment. Just go about your lives and continue to live.
embrace all...

I'm originally from NJ - the Jersey Shore made a mockery of the state and gave all the normal people a bad wrap (besides the fact that only one of them was from NJ.) I have been coming to the Vineyard for 30 years, don't destroy it's beauty and other people's vacation and homes. Is everyone going to be subjected to having video cameras all over and not be able to go to their favorite place and restaurants because they're too many kids and a crew tagging along. I'm disappointed that the Vineyard would allow this. We know they do not need to bring attention to themselves - the Island is always busy. I'm sad.

I've been coming to the Vineyard for over 25 years now and have watched it change. It's sad that Hollywood and its inhabitants discovered the location. I wish that they would all go back to the west coast. Knowing that this will never happen, I will continue to seclude myself to the three acres on the dirt road, the fish market and the beach. So sad!!!!

It's the beauty of the island that bring us back every Summer. It's the beautiful beaches and lovely walks around the Cliffs. It's the wonderful islanders that like having us visit in order to purchase their goods. Remembering the fresh air markets, art shows, farm lands and of course all the fabulous artists and their music...... Please don't ruin this beautiful experience... Reality shows are not MV. It's where you go to enjoy life with friends and family not to make a scene and get on tv. It's so far away from that. Even if they gave the island money,I would still say no. If this was a beautiful love story filmed for just that reason it would work but reality shows suck..........Next you will bring on Kim K. What next? I'm so against this. Sorry I'm out.

Really unfortunate. Grew up and have a home in Falmouth, spent my summers sailing to the island. The influx of people, celebrities sightings, all just part of the framework, but this is a violation of the culture. Like McDonald's in Wood's Hole, some things are not meant to be.

Disney will likely be far more tasteful than other reality shows but it will still be done to attract an audience and to do that it will need to be edgy, a little controversial and a little train wrecky. Very sad overall though but what should we expect. It's that 2 months of summer that everyone wants to see close up. The other 10 months is just too boring and will be ignored but that's when the rest of us have to put the place back in order for summer. What should be interesting is what restaurant will be featured and where will all these people live. anyone wants to guess that the Atlanticends up in the mix and the Chadwick Inn dormitory becomes the tight quarters living space? welcome to the "new" Martha's Vineyard.

No way, it's very easy when you're coming from another state to do a reality show on the island, I mean do your mess and live, but we live here and we will agree with this bull.... . f.... Reality show on the vineyard, we just want to relax and enjoy...

Active Hollywood Stuntwomen Seasonal living and I was raised on the Vineyard.
Let's see how diverse it will be. I hope it is opened up to all. Need help with production please contact me Facebook page Stuntwomen/Actor KymLonginoWshington.3015244568

This deeply saddens me that this takes away the pure ness of this wonderful island that my family has cherished for so many years. This is a special place that me and my family have cherished for 30 plus years. Three generations of summering on the vineyard to be made into a reality show??? Really??? Please rethink!

I suggest this intro for the new "reality" show:
18 people, picked to cram in a hovel, feed voracious ticks, share STDs, compete for towel real estate at South Beach and find out what life is like in . . . THE REAL WORLD, MARTHA'S VINEYARD!!!

This kind of show was created in and about Laguna Beach, CA for three seasons. The subjects were local high school kids. During the run of the show, one could obtain maps of the town featuring some of the places where the kids were filmed. (Laguna has long been swamped with tourists, and southern California generally does not share New England's sense of discretion and privacy.) But when tourists and paparazzi began hanging around the high school, that became just too creepy for most of the residents. They were so glad when the show folded. Now, of course, they can continue to despise "The Real Housewives of Orange County", parts of which are filmed in Laguna for almost every episode.

As a resident for over twenty-five years, the beauty of the Vneyard, it's people, it's diversity is a gift...for me, my husband, my children and grandchildren. Must everything today be "about reality?" Or, more honestly, "unreality, which this show will turn out to be. And the cheapening of everything good?? This is such an invasion on, yes, "a special place" and thank God for that!! I can't imagine how any TV production will call their show "reality" when all they will be looking for are the things to make the company money and exploit a place that still speaks of "wholesomeness, fun, family, and neighborhoods" that nurture and create and enliven the senses. Shame on this idea. No, no.

This reminds me of when they wanted to film Jaws on island...everyone was up in arms and made it nearly impossible for the film company to get anything done. Of course now everyone loves the movie and it's celebrated here at every possible opportunity.
This production, like Jaws, will bring much needed revenue to islanders when we need it, stop complaining! They're mostly going to be filming in a house or inside a restaurant, you'll never know they're here most of the time.
Perhaps everyone should figure out how to get work from the production instead of wasting time fighting the inevitable?

This idea of making a show on the vineyard is not fitting. I have a home in edgartown on the Harbor I belong to many of the clubs and it is still yet a very low key area the fact that abc is going to try to make a teenage show with drama on the island is idiotic. People go to the vineyard for a more low key feel that the hamptons does not provide. This is a pointless idea the show will go no where take it from someone who has a group of friends 18-24 who has been going there for 20 years. Good luck.

Wash a shores, islanders and summer vacationers are what make this beautiful island. It's what keeps jobs going. They stimulate growth and change. those of us who aren't willing to accept change are always left behind only to become a disgruntled old person that the younger generations make stories about. Left to live the rest of their lives secluded in their homes because they decided to stop growing and evolving. Humans are like computers, if you don't continue to upgrade you just become obsolete. The show is not going to be about watching young adults destroy their lives with booze and sex although, that is also a part of the island not the full picture but definitely a part of the island. You are not being forced to watch the program. You can all go about your lives without this effecting you. This is not the end of the world for the Vineyard. I'm sure if jaws was being filmed in this era we would still be having the same conversations. embrace all...

Perhaps if this was PBS filming a show most of you would be saying "how nice, kudos for PBS for shining a light on our wonderful island".
Some people could use a boost in the economy and this just might help them.
Think of other people not just yourself or the sand.

seems like the wealthy 1% want to keep the 99% out.... so sad, maybe we all could learn from each other. If Martha's Vineyard doesn't want the publicity, from what they consider "riff raff", and they don't want their adult children mingling with a lesser class, don't worry that won't happen anyway, your children are taught from childhood to say within your own class, and keep the money in the family....so besides shame on you, this show will only confirm what many middle class already know, you can work for me, you can go to the community college, but stay away from the mansion.

Seems like you have never been here, Elise. Otherwise, you'd know that many of the comments about this article were made by year round residents, and we are certainly not part of the "1%", that is certain.

Thinking about my times on the Island in the late 70's and early 80's, it's sad to hear about this project. Martha's Vineyard was a place where you could go to "escape" from such trash and dream about a world changing for the good.
Take the show somewhere that loves the publicity - you know where they are!

I can't see being concerned by another group of emotionally charged (sometimes inebriated), beach going, waiters/bussers, first-time fishing, 20 somethings with flip cams and booms. Sounds like a normal July on Island.

Don't believe a word of what the advance men or production crews tell you! They'll promise anything to get a 'yes.' My quiet town in Northern Vermont got seduced into letting a movie be filmed there. The promised deals were oh so attractive - "just like 'On Golden Pond'", money for this and that, a new gym floor for our school - but the reality was much more like "Nighmare on Main Street." Things that we were told would be disrupted for a week ended being disrupted for months. Promises were broken left and right. If somebody made money, it wasn't 'the economy.' No one in town would ever do this again - and I can't imagine a t.v. series is any different. Run Away!!!

No jets at the airport! No golf club! No beer & wine! No roundabout! Hypocrits!!! Only on an island where people sticker their cars with "CoExist" bumper stickets do they kick you off their private exclusive beaches. All of these comments slamming this project coming from part-time seasonal residents or visitors are hilarious!!! Words like "disgusting" and "ruining our privacy" just highlight the elitism that marinates on this island. What makes this island special has nothing to do with a TV show - it will never be like it was in 1970 hippies so get over it!!! A private company trying to make some money, pump some cash into the economy and give some local kids a one-of-a-kind opportunity doesn't stand a chance, but a joke of a green energy project that will destroy Nantucket Sound and get built on the backs of the taxpayers? By all means!!!! Get over yourselves...

I laugh at the self-entitled comments coming from the locals. The amount of time you have spent on this island hiding your insecurities from the real world does not mean that you are any more entitled to tell anyone what can and should happen on this island any more than someone who moved here yesterday. And stop complaining about people coming here in the summer or any other time to enjoy the island when they feel like doing so. Without the summer residents, washashores, tourists,etc you would all starve while living in caves married to your cousins. If ABC wants to film a show here let them and stop your whining. You all must be the same people who were complaining when they filmed Jaws. Pathetic. No wonder Spielberg hates this place.

I refuse to feel sorry for the restaurant that decides to partner with these horrible people of Hollywood. They will be out of business by the end of the season. Islanders will ban them, owners will avoid them like a plague, and renters will be warned to stay away. Another MV restaurant down the drain. Can you imagine if it was a year-round restaurant? At least we would know that there would be one less year-round place open next year!

Listen up old-timers, here's a news flash for you: This is not the same island you grew up on. That place has long since come and gone. The island has changed, and it will only continue to change, no matter how hard you fight it. I can only hope --for your sake-- that you learn to embrace these changes, like every generation before you has had to do. Stop talking about "how things used to be.”
The Vineyard will always be “yours” 7 months of the year. You give it up to the rest of the world for 5 months. This is nothing new; it’s how the island has always worked. This is the relationship you have with the world. The only thing this TV show is going to do is introduce the Vineyard to more people, and ultimately bring more people here in the summer.
Guess what? Another news flash: That’s a good thing. Your economy depends on these people. As much as you’d like to be, you are not self-sustaining. You’re the same people who cry in August about how slow the summers have been for the last few years, and how you’re struggling to make ends meet, and how disappointed you are that so many local businesses are closing their doors. Wake up.
Your artists, musicians, writers, craftsmen, naturists and quiet-seekers will always have a place here. Stop letting things like traffic rotaries, tourists, conservatives, mopeds, and the black dog plague your lives. You whine more than Snookie.